1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a multi-use vacuum cleaner, and, more particularly, to a vacuum cleaner having a vacuum module which is detachably mounted to a power foot and support member.
2. Description of Related Art
Vacuum cleaning machines have typically been one of two different designs, either an upright vacuum cleaner or a canister vacuum cleaner. The upright vacuum cleaner comprises a cleaning foot upon which is pivotally mounted a handle supporting the vacuum motor and bag. Uprights are typically most useful in cleaning floors and carpet.
A canister vacuum usually comprises a canister housing which supports the vacuum motor and bag. A long hose and wand extend from the canister housing. The wand can be attached to a cleaning foot or can be used with tools such as brushes or nozzles for cleaning unusual surfaces such as stairs, upholstery, curtains and automobile interiors.
A recent trend has been to develop multi-use upright vacuum cleaners which combine the compact structure and vertical orientation of an upright vacuum with the extension capabilities of a hose and wand. Such a multi-use machine can be used as an upright vacuum cleaner to clean carpeting or use the extendable hose to clean upholstery, drapery and the like. One example of a multi-use machine is manufactured by Windsor Industries, Inc. of Englewood, Colorado, U.S.A. and sold under the trademark VERSAMATIC EC.TM.. This vacuum comprises a floor engaging foot and an integral upright housing and elongated support member. The upright housing and elongated support member can be separated from the foot for use with a wand or other cleaning attachments. Other examples of similar multi-use machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,106 to Stein et al., issued Sep. 11, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,536 to Tapp, issued Jul. 19, 1983; U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,452 to Sumerau, issued Mar. 14, 1989; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,113 to Hipple, issued May 29, 1985.
Another modification to the basic structure of an upright vacuum cleaner is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,089 to Oxel, issued Oct. 8, 1985 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,493 to Buchtel, issued Aug. 28, 1984. In these references, a small hand-held vacuum is selectively mounted to the body of an upright vacuum.
Each of these several different prior multi-use upright vacuum cleaners suffer from the problem of the ability to use and operate the detachable wand or hand-held vacuum independently of or a significant distance from the body of the upright vacuum cleaner. Moreover, when using the hand-held vacuum independently of the body of the upright vacuum cleaner, it is important to minimize the weight and maximize the compact structure of the hand-held vacuum making it easier to use the hand-held vacuum a significant distance from the body of the upright vacuum cleaner.